Mail-transporting apparatus.



R. H. WlLSON..

MAIL TRANSPORTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 22. 191s.

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ROBERT H- WPLSON aum/nua .R.H. WILSON.

MAIL TRANSPORTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT 22| 1915.

Patented Nov. 30, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 24 preferred embodiment of my ROBERT H. WILSON, 0F `lVTEll'IlICE, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-rsroarrive APPARATUS.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

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Application filed September 22, 1.915. Serial No. 52,020.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. WILSON, a citizen of the United States, i'esiding at Venice, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Transporting Apparatus, of which the following is a speciication, reference being had to ythe accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mail carrying apparatus, and has for its primary object to provide a simply constructed, serviceable, and convenient device, whereby mail matter may be carried or transported from a highway to a residence.

The invention has for one of its more important objects to provide improved means for mounting and supporting the traveling mail box, and manually operable means arranged at the residence end of the supporting track for driving or moving the box.

The invention has for another of its objects to provide gravity means which acts to return the traveling mail box from the highway end of the supporting track to the residence, and means for cushioning the descent of the gravity means and thereby obviating injury to the mail box.

It is a further general object of the invention to provide a mail'transporting apparatus which may be readily erected in condition for operation and at a minimum expense, and is of such simplicity in its construction that the same is not liable to get out of order or require frequent repairs.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating'the improved mail transporting apparatus; Fig. 2 is a top plan view; Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the mail box, showing the same latched or locked against movement at the outer end of the supporting track; and Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line 6*-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 des- V ignates a series of posts or standards which are suitably arranged in spaced relation to y each other from the highway to the house or residence and are anchored at their lower ends in the ground. In addition to the post 5 nearest the highway, a second post or standard `6 is arranged, and these adjacent posts 5 and 6 are connected and braced by the horizontal bar 7 contiguous to their upper ends. Upon the upper end of the post 6 the horizontally disposed rotatable sheave or guide pulley 8 is mounted for a purpose which will be later explained.

Upon each of the posts 5, at its upper end, a supporting rod 9 is rigidly fixed. The preferable means for securing the supporting rod to the post consists of a triangular shaped in etal plate 10. The end ofthe rod 9 1s longitudinally split to receive the medial portion of this plate, and said rod is securely riveted to the plate, as indicated at 11. The lower end of the plate 10 is formed with angularly disposed ianges 12 which are securely fastened by means of suitable screws to the post 5. A second triangular shaped plate 13 is securely riveted to the upper portion of the plate 10, said plate 13 being disposed with its longer base edge extending transversely with respect to the upper end of the plate 10. Thisflonger edge of the plate 18 is engaged in a longitudinal slit provided in the medial portion of a cross rod or-bar 14 and is securely riveted to said b ar. The extremities of the bar 14 are verticlly and upwardly extended as shown at Near the highway, spaced supporting rods or bars 16 are mounted upon the horizontal brace 7 between the posts 5 and G, and tothe upper ends of these supporting standards 16 the outer ends of a pair of parallel guide wires 17 are suitably secured, the extremities of vsaid wires being langularly bent and upwardly extended as at 18 from the support 16. The upper ends of the portions 18 of the guide wires are riveted toa triangular plate 19 -and an obliquely disposed brace 20 connects this plate with the supporting plate 10 of the rod 9. 21 designates the single galvanized steel track wire which is split at its opposite ends, one end thereof being secured to the triangular plate 10 and the other end thereof to the upper end of the post 5 arranged adjacent to the house or residence. Upon this post a triangular plate 22 is fixed, to which the inner ends of the guide wires 17 are securely riveted. At points between ythe posts 5, vertical braces 23 are arranged between the lower guide wires 17 and the upper track wire 21. These vertical braces are connected at'their extremities to the guide and track wires by means of the triangular plates 24.

In the referred embodiment of the invention, provide a car or mail box generally designated by the numeral 25, which consists of two sections slightly spaced from each other but connected together at their upper ends by a metal bearmg casting 26 in which a pair of track wheels 27 are ]ournaled. These wheels'engage upon the track wire 21 and support the sectional car or mail box 25 for longitudinal travel thereon. For the purpose 'of driving or moving the mail box, I employ a flexible wire cable 28, one stretch of which extends along one side of the mail box contiguous to its bottom,

. while the other stretch of the cable is located in a corresponding position on the opposite side of the box. This cable traverses the horizontally disposed guide pulley or sheave 8, and the ends of said cable are connected by coiled springs 29 to the opposite lower corners of the mail box at the same side thereof.` These springs compensate for expansion and contraction in the.

driving cable.

Upon a suitable supporting frame 30 arranged contiguous to the house or residence,

a drum 31 is rotatably mounted between spaced bearing varms k32, the axis of said drum being vertically disposed. Upon the drum axis or shaft at its upper end a beveled pinion 33 is fixed and with the same a large beveled gear wheel 34 meshes. This gear wheel is fixed upon one end of the crank shaft 35 journaled in a bearing arm 36 xed upon the crank. To the shaft 35 one end` of the rope or cable 37 is connected to be Wound upon said shaft. This rope passes over a pulley 38 and has a weight 39 atrollers or pulleys 43 mounted upon a suitable tached to its other end. Below the weight 39, a vertically disposed hollow metal casing 40 is mounted, said casing being outwardly flared at its upper open end.

coiled spring 41 is arranged within saidr casing, and upon the upper end vof said spring a disk or plate 42 of liber, rubber or other suitable material is engaged. The driving cable 28 has three turns around the drum 31 and the two stretches of this cable are guided from the drum by spaced shaft fixed in the ends Vor spaced bracket arms 44 which are secured upon the post or y standard 5.

To the opposed inner walls Iof the sections of the mail car or box 25 at one of their ends spring latch plates 45 are xed and project beyond the ends of the box sections.` Upon the free extremities of these latch arms, lugs or shoulders 46 are formed or suitably secured, the outer faces of said lugs being beveled or inclined as shown. It will be understood that the sections of the mail box may be employed for receiving different classesl mail may be inserted, and these box sections may have any desired number of compartments.

The transversely disposed barsor rods 14 terminating in the upwardly extending end portions 15 provide suitable supports for the driving cable 28 and prevent the same from sagging. The guide wires 17 are disposed between the sections of the mail box adjacent the bottom thereof and hold the same in Separated spaced relation so that they will not bind the rollers or wheels 27 or in any manner interfere with the free travel of said wheels upon the supporting track wire 21.

From the above description the operation of the apparatus will be readily understood. When it is desired' to move the mail box or car outwardly upon the track to the highway, the crank 35 is rotated to wind the rope 37 thereon, thereby elevating the weight 39. Through the medium of the gears 33 and v34 it will be understood that the drum 31 is rotated to move the driving cable 28 in the proper direction. lVhen the car reaches the outer end of the track, the latch shoulders 46 engage behind the upwardly projecting end portions 18 of the guide wires 17, thereby holding the car or box against a reverse movement upon the track under the gravity action of the weight 39. After the postman has placed the mail within. the sectional box or car, he grasps the outer ends of the arms 45 and forces the shoulders 46 toward each other so as to release the same from engagement with the wires 17. The weight 39 will then descend and cause a reverse rotation of the drum 31 so that the car or box will be moved inwardly upon the track to the house. The descent of the weight 39 is cushioned or yieldingly checked by the spring 41 in the casing 40. This weight strikes upon the plate 42 and compresses the spring. The spring is of -such tension that the downward movement of the weight 39 is limited so that the car or box upon the track cannot engage with the guide rollers 43 for the driving cable, or the post 5 upon which said rollers are mounted. In this manner, it will be understood that liability of injury to the mail box or car by too violent contact with the track support is entirely obviated.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have produced a very simple, durably constructed, and eiiiciently operating mail transporting apparatus, which is very convenient for use upon rural mail routes as it relieves the householder of the necessity of going to the highwayin inclement Weather in order' to collect the mail from a stationary box mounted upon a supporting post. The track upon which the traveling car or box is mo-unted may be of any desired length, and the supports or standards for the single track wire may be multiplied as particular conditions may necessitate.

It will further be manifest that the device is susceptible of various modifications in the form and proportions and arrangement of the several -elements employed, and I therefore reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate modifications as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I Aclaim is:

1. In a mail transporting apparatus, a single track rail, a mail box having two sec.- tions mounted to travel on the trackvrail and depending from opposite sides thereof, spaced guide wires disposed between the box sections adjacent their lower ends and holding the same in separated relation, manually operable means connected to the mail box to move the same in one direction upon the track rail, and gravity means for reversing the operation of said manually 0perable means to move the mail box in the opposite direction on the track rail.

2. In a mail transporting apparatus, a single track rail, a mail box having two Sections mounted to travel on the track rail and depending from opposite sides thereof, spaced guide wires disposed between the box sections adjacent their lower ends and holdthe latch to reverse the operation of saidV manually operable means to move the mail box in the opposite direction on the track rai 3. In a mail transporting apparatus, a single track rail, a mail box having two Sections mounted to travel on the track rail and depending from opposite sides thereof, spaced guide wires disposed between the box sections adjacent their lower ends and holding theV same in separated relation, manually operable means connected to the mail box to move the same in one direction upon the track rail, a latch Carried by the box to engage the guide wires at the end of such longitudinal travel. of the mail box, gravity means operable upon the release of the latch to reverse the operation of said manually operable means and move the mail box in the opposite direction on the track rail, and means for cushioning said gravity means to check the latter movement of the mail box at the terminal of the track.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. WILSON.

Witnesses:

JAMES MCGEE, CHAs. M. MUNUNCY. 

